Your booking/rebooking sounds like daughter's saga in the last week or so. She is on her way to Cambodia for a family wedding. Her cousin went there to teach and is now marrying a girl from there. (That's another story as she is budhist and there have been multiple parental trips back and forth in the last year. Engagement,etc.)
Anyway she is at this moment on a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong in business (points) and then will fly on to Cambodia on Tuesday. I tried (somewhat) to talk her out of it because her girlfriend was going with her and last minute had an emergency and backed out. Those were also daughter's miles and she was able to redeposit and actually changed to this flight and shortened her trip by a couple of days as she was supposed to leave this past Wednesday. Eventually she meets up with my ex and his wife and the rest of the family at the wedding. (Almost 99% certain they all paid cash for everything through a
travel agency because that's what they do.) Deeper pockets than daughter or I.
But she will be in Hong Kong, Macau, Phnom Phen and who knows where else by herself touring around. She is fearless and so am I for myself but still worry for my kids even though she's 41 and very well traveled. Anyway, her return trip is Cambodia to Thailand to Munich to Dulles on United Polaris business class. She will have an economy seat from Hong Kong to Siem Reap on leaving HK for her next stage of touring before the wedding, but that's only 2 and 3/4 hours on a Cathay Dragon flight, but she will try to continue to get this in business while she is in the HK area. I would tell you all the different miles used but I don't have that in front of me. Hotels are all on points and free night certificates, Marriott and Holiday Inn. Her fees that I could see on the outbound flights were $75, no info on the return flights. Her only real cost is for food and maybe a few minor souvenirs.
Anyway the China part solo is a bit of worry for me as there are still warnings for the area due to the civil unrest. Doesn't phase her in the least.
Edit: daughter carries the Plat and several other cards and will be have all the lounge access she can desire. She could be one of those who just fly from airport to airport enjoying free food, massages and showers (lol).